If there’s one thing that we’ve learned over the years, it is that powerful things can be accomplished when people unite for a cause and push through resistance, beyond challenges and BREAKTHROUGH!
In the conversations we had at our booth at Fusion14, and through the surveys we collected, we were able to validate that many customers, no matter the industry or the role, from COOs to Service Managers to Process Leads –are struggling with the same issues.
Lesson 1: It is not about tools, it’s about people – It’s about you!
A project doesn’t start with process or tool implementation, it starts with YOU taking the lead and pushing for it to happen.
Before even getting to the point of searching for a tool, people must breakthrough the challenge of getting the funding, approval, and resources needed to complete an implementation.
We spoke with one ITSM Lead who shared the struggle he went through to gain approval and funding from his CIO. Was he able to get it? Yes! How did he get it? Helping his CIO visualize the benefits of the solution he was pushing for. It took time, patience, and clear communication, but he never gave up.
In our observations, we discovered that only 4% of those leading new efforts don’t experience resistance. As an example, Jennifer, a Service Desk Manager, is still having a hard time even justifying her role in her organization. She is trying to push for better service management, while her organization is satisfied with the status quo. Is she giving up? No! Why? Because she knows they can do better and she can lead it!
What do these two ground-breakers have in common? They pushed and keep pushing to make it happen, which is exactly what you will need to do in order to breakthrough!
Even in the presence of resistance, we need to push beyond every obstacle and cross the finish line! It’s not the tool that makes the difference, it’s not the process that brings success – the success comes from you!
Lesson 2: Cultural resistance is by far the biggest challenge we face as an industry.
Even though we were sitting among the best of the best in IT, we learned that many weren’t simply looking for the technical “aha”s, many needed solutions to help them breakthrough the cultural challenges of their organization.
Of all those who reported experiencing some kind of resistance, 84% said it was related to cultural factors. Cultural resistance cuts across rank, industry and role.
We see it everyday – and at Fusion, the stories poured in about the overall resistance to change people face when implementing a new tool or new processes.
From the moment the concept is born, the project lead must push beyond the organizational traditions, preconceived norms, and the thought patterns of others to introduce new ideas, tools, and processes into an existing environment.
Leads must navigate through the cultural terrain of the business in order to find ways to communicate the value of the project, build momentum and keep people engaged throughout the transitional stages.
Lesson 3: It is time to go beyond the SOW
The SOW provides a clear understanding of what the business expects from IT consultants. It provides the timeline, the budget and the deliverable.
While the SOW is important, we’ve observed that when an organization’s success is on the line, the SOW can be somewhat limiting. This contract is a vital step to a good performance. However, it only guarantees the success of the implementation. But will the project make the impact that it was intended to make?
In order for the project to truly succeed, it should be aligned with the goals of the organization, the value should be communicated extensively, and ultimately, people need to adopt!
Lesson 4: More positive, less negative
Why does it seem so difficult to breakthrough the challenges of IT when the benefits are so great?
Well, if you look at the environment we live in, usually, businesses only talk about IT when something goes wrong. We rely so much on IT in our daily lives and in our businesses, but the only time people notice the impact of IT is when something goes wrong – when the system crashes, when the red lights aren’t working, when the Internet is down, etc.
IT is vastly misunderstood! It’s no wonder that we struggle every day with getting funds and moving our projects forward. The perception of IT is wrong!
But what if we flipped the script?
What would happen if we would all share our success stories more often and start educating our users about the VALUE they are getting from IT’s capabilities?
Conclusion
The IT environment is changing rapidly and we need to address the challenges that arise. It is time to unite and get loud about what we accomplish every day.
We need to paint a new picture, a new perspective about the value of IT. We are seeing that we can’t rely on tools and processes alone.
We need our teams, people, the Business and executives to “get it”. What if we ALL began to share our wins – no matter how small.
Leave a comment and start sharing your wins with other IT pros. Together, we can communicate the value that we provide every day!
This post was written by Nora Jacques, Brand Journalist at Intact Technology, & originally appeared on the Intact blog.